How to Flush DNS Cache in 2025 — A Complete Guide to Fix Browsing Issues

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If you’re encountering problems like websites not loading, outdated content, or DNS errors such as “DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN” in 2025, the culprit may be your DNS cache. Thankfully, flushing the DNS cache is a simple and effective solution to these issues.

In this post, we’ll walk you through the process of flushing your DNS cache on different operating systems and browsers. Let’s get started and get you back to smooth, uninterrupted browsing!

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What Is DNS Cache and Why Should You Flush It in 2025?

Every time you visit a website, your device needs to convert the domain name (like www.example.com) into an IP address so it can load the page. To speed up this process, your system stores DNS information in a local DNS cache. While this helps with faster loading times, there are times when the cache can become outdated, corrupted, or misconfigured.

Flushing your DNS cache in 2025 can resolve the following common issues:

• Outdated content: Websites displaying old or incorrect information.
• DNS errors: Errors like DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or DNS Server Not Found.
• Website access issues: You might not be able to load a website that has recently changed its IP address.

By flushing the DNS cache, your system will get fresh and updated information, leading to smoother browsing and faster website loading times.

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How to Flush DNS Cache in 2025 on Different Devices and Browsers

Now that you know why flushing your DNS cache is important, let’s explore how to do it on various operating systems and browsers.

1. Flush DNS Cache on Windows (2025)

If you’re using Windows 10 or 11 in 2025, flushing the DNS cache is easy. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
   • Press the Windows key, type cmd, then right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as Administrator.
2. Enter the DNS Flush Command:
   • In the Command Prompt window, type the following command: ipconfig /flushdns
   • Hit Enter.
3. Confirmation: You should see a message saying: “Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache.”

That’s it! Your DNS cache is now cleared. Try reloading your browser to see if the issue is fixed.

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2. Flush DNS Cache on macOS (2025)

Flushing the DNS cache on a Mac in 2025 is similar to previous versions, but depending on the macOS version, the command may vary. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open Terminal:
   • Use Spotlight Search (Cmd + Space) and type Terminal, or go to Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. Run the Flush Command:
   • For macOS Big Sur and later, use: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
   • For macOS Mojave and earlier, use: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder
3. Enter Your Admin Password: When prompted, type your admin password and press Enter (it won’t show as you type).
4. Done!: Your DNS cache has been flushed. Restart your browser or refresh your connection.

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3. Flush DNS Cache on Linux (Ubuntu/Debian-based) in 2025

For most Linux distributions (like Ubuntu and Debian) in 2025, the method for flushing DNS cache is relatively straightforward.

1. Open the Terminal:
   • Press Ctrl + Alt + T to open a terminal.
2. Enter the Flush Command:
   • For systemd-based systems (like Ubuntu or Debian), use: sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches
3. Alternative Methods:
   • If you’re using dnsmasq or nscd, restart the service: sudo service nscd restart
   • If you use NetworkManager, turn off and on networking: sudo nmcli networking off sudo nmcli networking on
4. Check Your Connection: After flushing, try accessing websites to see if the issue is fixed.

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4. Flush DNS Cache on Google Chrome (2025)

If you’re specifically having issues with Google Chrome, you can flush the browser’s DNS cache without affecting the entire system.

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Navigate to Chrome’s DNS Settings:
   • Type chrome://net-internals/#dns in the Chrome address bar and press Enter.
3. Clear Host Cache:
   • Click the Clear host cache button. This will only clear Chrome’s DNS cache, not your system’s.
4. Test Your Connection: Refresh the webpage and check if the problem is resolved.

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5. Flush DNS Cache on Mozilla Firefox (2025)

If you’re using Firefox in 2025, you can clear its internal DNS cache too.

1. Open Firefox.
2. Go to about:networking:
   • In the address bar, type about:networking#dns and press Enter.
3. Click “Clear DNS Cache”:
   • Click the Clear DNS Cache button to remove the stored DNS entries.
4. Refresh the Page: Check if the issue has been resolved by reloading the website.

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Steps to Flush NSCD DNS Cache

To flush the NSCD (Name Service Cache Daemon) DNS cache on a Linux system, follow the steps below. NSCD is used by many Linux distributions to cache name service information (including DNS queries) to improve performance. If you want to clear this cache, you’ll need to restart the NSCD service.

Steps to Flush NSCD DNS Cache:

1. Open a Terminal

• Open a terminal window on your Linux system. You can do this by searching for “Terminal” in your application menu or pressing Ctrl + Alt + T on most Linux distributions.

2. Check if NSCD is Installed

• If you’re unsure whether NSCD is installed, you can check by running the following command: sudo systemctl status nscd If NSCD is installed and running, you’ll see information about its status. If it’s not installed, you can install it (see the installation instructions below).

3. Flush the NSCD DNS Cache

• To flush the DNS cache, you can restart the NSCD service with the following command: sudo systemctl restart nscd This will restart the NSCD service, which automatically clears its cache, including DNS cache.

4. Verify the Cache Is Cleared

• To ensure that the cache has been cleared, you can check the NSCD status again: sudo systemctl status nscd
• Alternatively, you can check the DNS cache by querying DNS directly using a tool like dig or nslookup to confirm that fresh DNS queries are being made.

5. Optional: Restart NSCD if Needed

• If for some reason you cannot use the systemctl command (e.g., if you’re using an older version of Linux), you can manually restart the NSCD service: sudo service nscd restart

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Installing NSCD (if not installed)

If NSCD is not installed on your system, you can install it by running the appropriate package manager command for your distribution.

• On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems: sudo apt update sudo apt install nscd
• On Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora systems: sudo yum install nscd
• On Fedora-based systems: sudo dnf install nscd

After installation, you can follow the steps above to flush the cache.

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Summary:

Flushing the NSCD DNS cache involves restarting the NSCD service using the systemctl or service command. This clears the DNS cache, forcing the system to query DNS servers for fresh information the next time a domain is accessed.

Steps to Flush DNSMASQ DNS Cache

Flushing the DNS cache for dnsmasq (a lightweight DNS forwarder and DHCP server commonly used in Linux systems) is relatively simple. If your system is using dnsmasq to cache DNS queries, here are the steps you can follow to clear its cache.

Steps to Flush dnsmasq DNS Cache:

1. Open a Terminal

• Open a terminal window on your Linux system. You can do this by searching for “Terminal” in your application menu or pressing Ctrl + Alt + T.

2. Restart the dnsmasq Service

• The most common method to flush the DNS cache in dnsmasq is to restart its service. You can do this using systemctl or service commands.
• On systems with systemd (most modern distributions like Ubuntu, CentOS, Fedora, etc.): sudo systemctl restart dnsmasq
• On older systems or systems using the init.d service manager: sudo service dnsmasq restart

This will restart the dnsmasq service, which clears the DNS cache and reinitializes its configuration.

3. Verify the Service is Running

• After restarting dnsmasq, you can check its status to confirm it’s running properly: sudo systemctl status dnsmasq

This will show whether the service has started successfully. If there are any issues, the output will provide error details.

4. Alternative: Sending a Signal to dnsmasq

• If you don’t want to restart the entire dnsmasq service, you can send a SIGHUP (hang-up) signal to dnsmasq, which will cause it to reload its configuration and flush the cache. sudo kill -HUP $(pidof dnsmasq)

This method doesn’t interrupt the service and only clears the DNS cache.

5. Confirm DNS Cache is Cleared

• To confirm that the cache has been flushed, you can check whether fresh DNS queries are being made (for example, by using dig or nslookup commands).

Example using dig:

dig @127.0.0.1 example.com

If dnsmasq was caching DNS records, the first query would be cached, and subsequent queries should be resolved faster.

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Troubleshooting:

1. If dnsmasq is not installed:
   • If you find that dnsmasq isn’t installed, you can install it using your package manager:
     • On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems: sudo apt update sudo apt install dnsmasq
     • On Red Hat/CentOS/Fedora systems: sudo yum install dnsmasq
     • On Fedora-based systems: sudo dnf install dnsmasq
2. If dnsmasq isn’t running:
   • If dnsmasq isn’t running, you may need to start it first: sudo systemctl start dnsmasq

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Summary:

To flush the dnsmasq DNS cache, the easiest and most common approach is to restart the dnsmasq service using the systemctl restart dnsmasq command. Alternatively, you can send a SIGHUP signal to dnsmasq to clear the cache without restarting the service. This ensures that DNS queries are resolved freshly and the cache is cleared.

Steps to Flush BIND Server DNS Cache

Flushing the DNS cache for BIND (Berkeley Internet Name Domain) server is a straightforward process. BIND is one of the most widely used DNS servers on the internet, and if you’re running BIND on your system, you may need to flush its DNS cache to ensure that your DNS queries are up to date or to resolve any DNS-related issues.

Steps to Flush BIND Server DNS Cache:

1. Open a Terminal

• Open a terminal window on your Linux or Unix-based system. You can do this by pressing Ctrl + Alt + T or searching for “Terminal” in your application menu.

2. Check the Status of BIND

• Before flushing the cache, it’s helpful to check whether the BIND service is running. You can do this with the following command: sudo systemctl status bind9
  • On older systems that don’t use systemd, use: sudo service bind9 status

3. Flushing the DNS Cache

• To flush the cache of the BIND server, you need to restart the BIND service or issue a specific command to instruct it to clear the cache.

Option 1: Restart the BIND Service

• Restarting the BIND service will clear the DNS cache and reload the configuration. This is the most common and easiest method: sudo systemctl restart bind9
  • For systems not using systemd: sudo service bind9 restart
• This command stops the bind9 service and then starts it again, which effectively clears the cache and reinitializes the server.

Option 2: Flushing Specific Zones with rndc

• rndc (Remote Name Daemon Control) is a command-line tool that allows you to manage and control the BIND server. You can use rndc to flush the cache without restarting the BIND service.
  • To flush the entire cache: sudo rndc flush
  • To flush the cache for a specific zone: If you only want to flush the cache for a specific domain or zone, use the following command: sudo rndc flushname example.com
  • To flush a specific view (if using multiple views): If you’re using multiple views in your BIND configuration and need to flush the cache for a specific view: sudo rndc flushview <view-name>
• These rndc commands allow you to clear the DNS cache without interrupting the entire BIND service, which can be useful for minimizing downtime.

4. Verify Cache Has Been Flushed

• You can verify that the cache has been cleared by querying the DNS server for a domain. If the cache is empty, the server will perform a fresh lookup.
• You can use dig to check if the cache is being populated again: dig @127.0.0.1 example.com
• The first query after flushing the cache will show that it’s being resolved fresh (without using cached results).

5. Checking the rndc Configuration (if needed)

• If the rndc command doesn’t work, it might be because the rndc tool isn’t configured or isn’t allowed to control the BIND server.
• Ensure that the rndc configuration is set up in your BIND configuration files (usually located in /etc/bind/rndc.key or /etc/bind/named.conf). If necessary, you can generate a new rndc key using the rndc-confgen tool: sudo rndc-confgen -a
• This will automatically generate the necessary configuration and key for rndc.

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Troubleshooting:

1. If rndc isn’t working:
   • Ensure that the rndc.key file is properly configured. The rndc tool relies on a shared key to communicate with BIND. You can check if the key exists and matches the one in /etc/bind/rndc.key.
   • If there are issues with the key or configuration, you might need to regenerate it or check the permissions for the rndc.key file.
2. Service not found or not starting:
   • If the bind9 service is not found or not starting, ensure that BIND is installed on your system. You can install BIND on most systems using:
     • On Debian/Ubuntu-based systems: sudo apt install bind9
     • On Red Hat/CentOS-based systems: sudo yum install bind
3. If DNS is still not updating after flush:
   • If you’re still having issues with stale DNS records after flushing the cache, ensure that your DNS server isn’t using a caching proxy like dnsmasq in front of it or that you don’t have any network misconfigurations.

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Summary:

To flush the BIND DNS cache, the most common method is to restart the bind9 service using systemctl restart bind9 or service bind9 restart. Alternatively, you can use the rndc tool to flush the cache more specifically, with the command sudo rndc flush. If you’re managing a DNS zone or multiple views, you can flush individual zones or views with rndc flushname or rndc flushview.

By following these steps, you ensure that your DNS server is using the latest DNS records and not relying on outdated cached information.

How to Disable Firefox DNS Cache

Disabling the DNS cache in Firefox can be useful in certain situations, such as when you want to ensure that the browser always retrieves fresh DNS information from your configured DNS servers instead of relying on cached results. While you can’t completely disable the DNS cache in Firefox, you can adjust the settings to make it less aggressive and reduce its lifetime.

Here’s how you can adjust or disable Firefox’s DNS cache:

Method 1: Adjust DNS Cache Behavior Using about:config

1. Open Firefox.
2. Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter.
3. Accept the warning: You’ll see a warning message saying that “This might void your warranty!” (This is just a disclaimer; it’s safe to proceed if you follow the instructions below.)
4. Search for DNS Cache Settings: In the search bar at the top of the about:config page, type the following: network.dns.cache You should see a few DNS cache-related preferences.
5. Modify network.dns.cache.enabled:
   • Double-click on the network.dns.cache.enabled setting. This setting controls whether Firefox uses its internal DNS cache.
   • Set it to false to disable the DNS cache.
   If this option is set to false, Firefox will not use its DNS cache and will resolve DNS queries afresh every time.
6. Modify network.dns.cache.ttl:
   • Optionally, you can adjust the TTL (Time To Live) of DNS cache entries by modifying network.dns.cache.ttl. This controls how long entries stay in the cache.
   • Setting this value to 0 would reduce the cache’s lifetime to almost nothing, meaning that DNS entries will be cached for a very short time before being discarded.
   To do this:
   • Double-click network.dns.cache.ttl.
   • Set it to 0.
7. Modify network.dnsCacheExpiration:
   • This preference controls how long the DNS cache is kept alive. You can set this to a lower value (like 0), which will reduce the duration of the cached DNS records.
   If you want to clear the cache regularly, you can set this value to 0 to disable caching completely.

Method 2: Use Clear DNS Cache Manually

Even with DNS cache settings tweaked, Firefox will continue to cache DNS data until it’s cleared manually or at the end of a session. You can also clear the cache manually whenever you want by following these steps:

1. Open Firefox.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete (Windows/Linux) or Cmd + Shift + Delete (Mac) to open the Clear Recent History window.
3. Choose “Everything” for the Time range.
4. Select “Cache” from the list of options (you can uncheck everything else if you don’t want to clear other data).
5. Click “Clear Now”.

This clears Firefox’s DNS cache along with other cached data.

Method 3: Disable DNS Prefetching

Firefox performs DNS prefetching to resolve domain names in advance while you’re browsing to improve page load speed. If you want to reduce DNS cache usage even further, you can disable DNS prefetching entirely.

1. Open Firefox.
2. Type about:config in the address bar and press Enter.
3. Accept the warning.
4. Search for network.dns.disablePrefetching in the search bar.
5. Set it to true by double-clicking the preference or clicking the toggle button.

This will prevent Firefox from pre-resolving DNS for links in the background, reducing DNS cache usage even further.

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Summary:

To disable the DNS cache in Firefox, you can:

1. Set network.dns.cache.enabled to false in about:config to completely disable the internal DNS cache.
2. Optionally, set network.dns.cache.ttl to 0 to make the cache extremely short-lived.
3. Use the Clear Recent History option to manually flush the cache as needed.
4. Disable DNS prefetching with network.dns.disablePrefetching set to true to reduce caching further.

This can help ensure that Firefox always fetches fresh DNS data directly from your DNS servers instead of relying on cached results.

How to Disable Brave DNS Cache

To disable the DNS cache in Brave Browser, you can adjust settings via the browser’s flags and use some configuration tweaks. While Brave doesn’t offer a built-in, direct toggle to completely disable DNS caching, you can reduce its impact by using flags or clearing the cache more frequently.

Steps to Disable or Reduce DNS Cache in Brave Browser:

Method 1: Disable DNS Prefetching (Reduce DNS Cache)

Brave, like other Chromium-based browsers, uses DNS prefetching to resolve domain names before you actually visit them, improving loading times. Disabling this feature will prevent the browser from pre-fetching DNS information, which effectively reduces DNS caching.

1. Open Brave Browser.
2. Go to the flags page:
   • In the address bar, type: brave://flags
   • Press Enter.
3. Search for the DNS Prefetching setting:
   • In the search bar on the flags page, type: DNS
4. Disable DNS Prefetching:
   • Look for the setting named “Enable DNS prefetching” or “Enable DNS preconnect”.
   • Set it to Disabled.
5. Restart Brave:
   • After disabling DNS prefetching, you will be prompted to Restart Brave for the changes to take effect. Click on the Restart button.

Disabling DNS prefetching will stop Brave from pre-resolving domain names for links in the background, which will minimize DNS cache usage.

Method 2: Clear DNS Cache Manually

You can clear the DNS cache in Brave manually whenever needed. While this doesn’t completely disable caching, it ensures that outdated DNS information is removed when required.

1. Open Brave Browser.
2. Open the Developer Tools:
   • Press Ctrl + Shift + I (or Cmd + Option + I on Mac) to open the Developer Tools.
   • Alternatively, you can right-click anywhere on the page and choose Inspect or Inspect Element.
3. Go to the Application tab:
   • In the Developer Tools window, click on the “Application” tab.
4. Navigate to the Cache section:
   • In the left sidebar, find the “Cache Storage” section under the “Storage” menu.
5. Clear Cache Storage:
   • You can right-click on any stored cache and select Clear to remove DNS-related cache from the browser.

Additionally, you can also manually clear all browsing data (which will include the DNS cache) by following these steps:

1. Open the Settings menu in Brave.
2. Click on “Privacy and security”.
3. Select “Clear browsing data”.
4. Choose “All time” for the time range and make sure “Cached images and files” is selected.
5. Click Clear Data.

This will clear the browser’s cache, including DNS entries.

Method 3: Disable Chrome’s DNS Cache (Brave is Chromium-based)

Since Brave is based on Chromium, you can also use Chrome flags to influence DNS cache behavior. Follow these steps:

1. Open Brave Browser.
2. Go to the flags page:
   • Type the following in the address bar: brave://flags
3. Search for DNS Cache Flags:
   • Type “DNS” in the search bar to find DNS-related flags.
4. Disable DNS Caching (Experimental):
   • There might be flags related to DNS or cache in general. Set them to Disabled if available. For example, look for:
     • “Use DNS cache” — if found, disable it.
     • “Enable DNS prefetching” — disable it.
5. Restart Brave to apply the changes.

Note that these flags are experimental, so they might not be available or stable across all versions.

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Method 4: Flush DNS Cache Manually (Windows/macOS/Linux)

If you’re encountering issues with cached DNS data in Brave specifically, you can flush the system DNS cache manually. This will ensure that your OS’s DNS cache is cleared, which affects all browsers, including Brave.

On Windows:

1. Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2. Run the following command: ipconfig /flushdns

On macOS:

1. Open Terminal.
2. Run the following command:
   • For macOS 10.10.4 and later: sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder

On Linux:

1. Open Terminal.
2. If you’re using systemd (common in many distributions), run: sudo systemctl restart systemd-resolved

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Summary:

To disable or reduce DNS caching in Brave:

1. Disable DNS prefetching through the brave://flags page by setting “Enable DNS prefetching” to Disabled.
2. Clear the DNS cache manually via Developer Tools or by using the Clear browsing data option.
3. Flush your system DNS cache to remove any cached DNS data from the OS level.

While you cannot fully “disable” DNS caching in Brave (since it’s an inherent part of browser behavior for performance), you can mitigate its impact by disabling prefetching and manually clearing cached DNS entries.

When Should You Flush Your DNS Cache in 2025?

Flushing your DNS cache isn’t something you need to do every day, but there are key moments when it can really help:

• Websites aren’t loading properly: If a website shows outdated content or fails to load.
• DNS errors: You get errors like DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN or DNS Server Not Found.
• After changing DNS servers: If you’ve switched to a new DNS provider (such as Google DNS or Cloudflare DNS), flushing the cache ensures your system uses the latest information.
• Troubleshooting connectivity issues: If your internet connection is acting up, flushing the DNS cache can sometimes fix the problem.

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Troubleshooting DNS Issues After Flushing the Cache

If flushing the DNS cache didn’t fix the issue, here are some other steps to try:

• Restart Your Router: Sometimes, the problem might be with your router’s DNS cache, not your device.
• Switch to a Public DNS Service: If you’re using your ISP’s default DNS, switch to a faster and more reliable public DNS provider like Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1).
• Check Your Network Connection: Ensure your internet connection is stable. If you’re on Wi-Fi, try switching to a wired connection.

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What does flush DNS do?

Flushing the DNS (Domain Name System) cache is a process where the cached records of domain names are cleared from your computer or device. DNS is responsible for translating human-readable domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses (like 192.168.1.1) that computers use to communicate.

Why flush DNS?

1. Resolve website loading issues: Over time, the DNS cache might store outdated or incorrect information about websites, which can lead to issues when accessing certain sites. Flushing the cache can help resolve these problems.
2. Fix domain resolution errors: If the DNS records for a website change, such as when a site moves to a new server, the cached DNS record might still point to the old server. Flushing the DNS cache ensures that your computer will look up the correct, updated information.
3. Improve privacy and security: A stale or corrupted DNS cache could potentially lead to malicious redirection or expose visited websites. Flushing clears the cache, which can prevent this.

How does flushing work?

Flushing the DNS removes all locally stored domain-to-IP mappings, forcing your computer or device to fetch fresh information from the DNS servers the next time you try to access a website.

How to flush DNS:

• On Windows: Open Command Prompt and type ipconfig /flushdns.
• On macOS: Open Terminal and type sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder.
• On Linux: Open a terminal and type sudo systemd-resolve --flush-caches (or a similar command depending on the distribution).

After flushing, the cache will start to build up again as you visit websites.

Why would you flush DNS?

Flushing DNS can be helpful in several situations, particularly when you’re experiencing issues with accessing websites or suspect problems with DNS resolution. Here are the most common reasons you might flush your DNS cache:

1. Fix Website Access Issues

• Outdated or Corrupted DNS Cache: Sometimes, the DNS cache stored on your computer might become outdated or corrupted, leading to problems like websites not loading correctly or returning errors. Flushing the cache forces your system to refresh the DNS data and get the latest records.
• DNS Errors: If you encounter a “DNS server not found” error or other DNS-related problems while browsing, flushing the DNS cache may resolve the issue by clearing invalid or incorrect DNS entries.

2. Ensure You’re Accessing the Correct Site

• Domain Changes (DNS Propagation): If a website has recently changed its IP address (e.g., it moved to a new server), your computer may still try to access the old IP address due to cached DNS records. Flushing the DNS forces your device to query the DNS servers for the most current information, ensuring that you’re accessing the correct server.
• DNS Hijacking or Malware: In some cases, malware or malicious software can alter your DNS settings, redirecting you to fraudulent websites. Flushing DNS can help you clear any malicious redirects that may have been cached.

3. Improving Privacy and Security

• Clearing Traces of Browsing Activity: Flushing the DNS cache clears the record of all the domain names you’ve recently visited. If you’re concerned about privacy or want to ensure no one can trace your online activities through your DNS cache, flushing it helps.
• Preventing Tracking via DNS: Some websites or advertisers track your browsing activity using DNS records. Flushing the DNS cache can remove these traces, reducing the risk of being tracked via your DNS queries.

4. Resolve Network Configuration Changes

• DNS Server Switch: If you’ve changed DNS servers (for example, switching from your ISP’s default DNS to a public one like Google DNS or Cloudflare), flushing the DNS ensures that your system starts using the new server right away, rather than relying on cached data from the old server.
• Network Configuration Updates: If you’ve made changes to your local network setup or DNS configuration (such as updating routers, DNS settings, or network adapters), flushing DNS can help apply those changes immediately.

5. Troubleshoot Network or Browser Issues

• Speeding Up Browsing (Rare): In some cases, a stale DNS cache may slow down browsing because your system repeatedly tries to access outdated DNS information. Flushing the cache might help your device fetch more accurate DNS records faster, potentially speeding up site loading times.
• Fixing “Page Not Found” Errors: If you’re seeing “Page Not Found” or similar errors for websites that are actually online, flushing the DNS cache can help resolve such issues.

6. Testing DNS Changes

• After Updating DNS Records: If you’ve made changes to your domain’s DNS settings (e.g., after moving your website to a new server or changing hosting providers), you may need to flush your DNS to see those changes immediately on your machine. This can be especially important for web developers or system administrators.

By clearing the DNS cache, you’re forcing your computer to query the DNS server for fresh information, rather than relying on possibly outdated or incorrect cached entries.

DNS (Domain Name System) is a crucial part of how the internet works, as it translates human-readable domain names (like www.example.com) into IP addresses that computers can use to communicate. When DNS isn’t functioning properly, it can lead to various issues while browsing the web or connecting to online services.

Common DNS-related problems:

1. DNS Server Not Responding

• Symptoms: You might see an error like “DNS server not responding” when trying to visit a website. The page may fail to load entirely.
• Cause: This error typically occurs when your DNS server (the server responsible for resolving domain names to IP addresses) is down, overloaded, or unreachable.
• Solution: Try switching to a different DNS server, such as Google’s Public DNS (8.8.8.8 and 8.8.4.4) or Cloudflare’s DNS (1.1.1.1). You can also check for connectivity issues with your router or internet service provider (ISP).

2. DNS Lookup Failed

• Symptoms: Websites fail to load with a “DNS Lookup Failed” message.
• Cause: The error suggests that the DNS query could not be resolved. This can happen if there are issues with your local DNS cache, incorrect DNS settings, or DNS records are missing for the domain.
• Solution: Flush your DNS cache, ensure your DNS server settings are correct, and check for network connectivity.

3. Slow Website Load Times

• Symptoms: Websites take a long time to load, even if your internet connection is otherwise fast.
• Cause: Slow DNS resolution can occur when your DNS server is slow, or your DNS cache is full or outdated. This can delay the time it takes to convert a domain name to an IP address.
• Solution: Switching to a faster DNS server (like Google DNS or Cloudflare) can improve resolution times. You might also want to clear your DNS cache to start fresh.

4. Incorrect DNS Configuration

• Symptoms: You can’t connect to the internet, or only certain websites fail to load. This may also happen if you’ve recently changed networks (e.g., switching from Wi-Fi to Ethernet or using a VPN).
• Cause: Incorrect DNS settings in your device or router can prevent your computer from finding websites. This could happen if DNS settings were manually configured and are incorrect or outdated.
• Solution: Check your network settings to ensure the correct DNS server is being used. If you’re using custom DNS settings, try switching back to your ISP’s default or use a public DNS service.

5. DNS Cache Corruption

• Symptoms: You experience issues with specific websites not loading correctly, such as seeing outdated versions of a site, or receiving “404 Not Found” errors when the site exists.
• Cause: DNS cache can sometimes become corrupted, causing incorrect or stale domain records to be used. This can lead to accessing outdated or incorrect websites.
• Solution: Flush the DNS cache on your device to remove stale records and allow the system to refresh its DNS lookups.

6. DNS Resolution Errors for Specific Websites

• Symptoms: Some websites load correctly, while others do not, even though the internet connection is active.
• Cause: This could be due to issues with the DNS record of the specific website you’re trying to access (for example, the DNS record is incorrectly configured, or the DNS provider is experiencing downtime).
• Solution: Try accessing the website with a different device or network. You could also use an online DNS propagation tool to see if the DNS record has propagated correctly.

7. DNS Spoofing (Cache Poisoning)

• Symptoms: You might find that when you try to visit a website, you’re redirected to a malicious site that looks like the original, or you might be unable to access the legitimate website at all.
• Cause: DNS spoofing (also known as cache poisoning) occurs when a malicious entity alters or injects fake DNS records into the cache. This can redirect users to fake websites, which could be used for phishing or malware distribution.
• Solution: Use DNS servers that offer security features, like DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions). It’s also advisable to use a trusted, secure DNS provider and to regularly clear your DNS cache.

8. DNS Server Timeout

• Symptoms: A website fails to load, and you get a “server not found” error, or the page simply times out.
• Cause: The DNS query may time out due to server overload or network issues. This can happen when DNS servers are slow to respond or if there’s network congestion.
• Solution: Try again later, or switch to a different DNS provider. You can also check your network connection to ensure there aren’t any issues.

9. Domain Name System (DNS) Leaks (VPN and Privacy)

• Symptoms: When using a VPN, your real IP address and DNS queries are exposed, potentially compromising privacy.
• Cause: A DNS leak occurs when your VPN fails to route DNS queries through the encrypted VPN tunnel. This causes DNS queries to be sent through your ISP’s DNS servers, exposing your browsing activity.
• Solution: Use VPNs that support DNS leak protection, or manually configure DNS settings (such as using a third-party DNS provider like Google or Cloudflare) in your device or VPN settings.

10. DNS Propagation Delays

• Symptoms: After making DNS changes (like moving your website to a new server or changing domain records), the changes don’t appear immediately.
• Cause: DNS propagation can take time (anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours) to fully update across all DNS servers worldwide. During this time, some users may access the old server or domain information.
• Solution: Be patient and wait for DNS changes to propagate fully. You can use DNS tools to check the status of DNS propagation and ensure the changes have taken effect globally.

11. Blocked or Restricted DNS Servers

• Symptoms: Websites or online services are inaccessible, even though the internet connection is otherwise working.
• Cause: DNS servers might be restricted or blocked by network administrators, ISPs, or governments (this is common in places with internet censorship).
• Solution: Use a public DNS server that bypasses restrictions, such as Google’s DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare’s DNS (1.1.1.1), or set up a VPN to avoid DNS-based blocking.

How to Resolve Common DNS Problems:

• Flush DNS Cache: Often, simply clearing the DNS cache (using ipconfig /flushdns on Windows, or similar commands on macOS/Linux) can resolve many DNS issues.
• Switch DNS Servers: If your current DNS server is slow or unreliable, try switching to a faster, more reliable public DNS service (e.g., Google’s DNS, Cloudflare DNS, or OpenDNS).
• Check Your Network Settings: Ensure that your DNS settings are correct, and if you’re using a custom DNS server, confirm that it’s operational.
• Restart Router or Modem: Sometimes, restarting your router or modem can help clear network issues, including DNS problems.
• Contact Your ISP or Web Host: If the issue persists, it might be a problem with your ISP’s DNS servers or your website’s DNS configuration. Contacting your provider or host may help resolve the issue.

By diagnosing these common problems and applying the appropriate solutions, you can typically fix DNS-related issues and restore normal internet connectivity.

Conclusion

Flushing your DNS cache is a quick and easy solution for many common internet and browser-related issues in 2025. Whether you’re dealing with outdated websites, DNS errors, or connectivity problems, refreshing your DNS cache can often fix the issue in no time.

Now that you know how to flush DNS cache on Windows, macOS, Linux, and browsers like Chrome and Firefox, you’ll be able to resolve these issues quickly and get back to browsing without interruptions.

If this guide helped, feel free to share it or drop a comment below if you have any questions!

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Flushing DNS Cache

What is DNS Cache?

The DNS cache is a temporary storage on your device where it stores the IP addresses of websites you’ve visited. This cache helps speed up the browsing process by allowing your system to retrieve these IP addresses quickly without having to query a DNS server each time you visit a site.

Why Should I Flush DNS Cache?

Flushing your DNS cache removes outdated or corrupted entries. If the DNS cache contains incorrect or old information, you might encounter issues such as websites not loading properly, DNS errors (e.g., DNS_PROBE_FINISHED_NXDOMAIN), or outdated content appearing on websites.

Can I Flush DNS Cache on Any Device?

Yes! You can flush the DNS cache on almost any device, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and popular web browsers like Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox. Each platform has its own method for flushing the DNS cache, but the process is simple and straightforward.

Can I Flush DNS Cache in Google Chrome or Firefox?

Yes! Both Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox allow you to flush the browser’s DNS cache without affecting your entire system. In Chrome, you can go to chrome://net-internals/#dns, and in Firefox, you can use about:networking#dns to clear the DNS cache for those browsers.

What Should I Do If Flushing the DNS Cache Doesn’t Fix My Issue?

If flushing the DNS cache doesn’t resolve your problem:
Restart your router: It might be your router’s DNS cache causing issues.
Switch to a different DNS provider: Try using a faster and more reliable DNS server like Google DNS (8.8.8.8) or Cloudflare DNS (1.1.1.1).
Check your internet connection: Ensure your network is functioning correctly, and switch from Wi-Fi to a wired connection if necessary.